Instrument lighting



Jan. 10, 1939. I H. c: sTugRzL ,1

INSTRUMENT LIGHTING Filed Nov. 7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet -l Jan. 10, 1939. H. ,c. STUERZL 2,143,124..

INSTRUMENT LIGHTING Filed Nov. 7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 10, 1939. H, c. STUERZL 2,143,174

INS TRUMENT LIGHT ING F'iied Nov. 7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patentcd'Jan. re, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,143,174 msraumaur meme Henry Charles Stuerzl,

Flint, Mich, assignor to General Motors- Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application November I, 1936, Serial No. 109,613

' 16 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminating means i and more particularly to means for illuminating dials and indicia of instruments of vehicles in In driving a vehicle at night it is desirable that w the operator may be able to see at a glance the several instruments and this necessitates the provision of some form of lighting means. The

means for illuminating .the instruments preferably should be so constructed that the several faces or dials of the different instruments and indicia are adequately lighted'without any glare in the eyes of the operator.

5 I have devised a means for illuminating the instruments in which glare is greatly reduced. The instrument faces and pointers are indirectly lighted by means of light'reflected from the walls of the instrument casing. Preferably the gradua- 0 tions and descriptions of the instruments or gauges are printed on the faces of the instruments and are illuminated therewith. I utilize a novel lighting means involving opaque paint preferably arranged in rings on the front and back of a 5 glass dial in such a way that rays of light are caused to travel within the plane of the glass dial and finally to be projected forwardly to illuminate indicia arranged in front of the glass dial.

A broad object of my invention is to provide an an instrument panel of pleasing appearance having a novel means of illuminating which greatly reduces glare.

It is also an object of myinvention to provide a means for illuminating-indicia involving travel 35 of light rays within the plane of a transparent dial.

Another object of my invention is to provide an instrument panel of pleasing appearance in which the several instruments are mounted in two 40 groups.

, A further object of my invention is to provide means for illuminating instrument panels involving the use of light reflected from walls 6f a casing and light rays which by reflection and diffu- 45 sion are caused to travel within the plane of a glass or other transparent dial.

A still further object of any invention is to provide a translucent ring of any desired color through which rays of light may be projected.

5o Anotherobject of my invention is to provide improved mounting means for instruments.

Other advantages and objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds. A y a 5 Reference is herein made to the accompanying drawings forming a portion of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevatlonal view of an instrument panel showing the two symmetrically arranged groups of instruments; 5

Figure 2 is a view showing the manner in which instruments may be mounted in groups of two;

Figure 3 is a view on line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view with parts broken away showing the construction of one of m the instruments whereby indicia may be illuminated;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-5111 Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view on line 6-6 in Figure 1; and

Figure '7 is a view showing the mounting means for the speedometer. v

In the drawings, Iii is a speedometer unit; H is a combination instrument in which four gauges l2, l3, l4 and 15 are grouped. The units In and H preferably may be fastened to a die-cast frame 16 which may be secured to a car instrument board. The frame I6 has a portion l1 which projects over the faces of the instruments as shown in Figures 3, and 5.

Referring especially to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, l8 indicates a casing which houses the four instruments or gauges 'l2, l3, I4 and I5 which in the embodiment shown are the oil pressure gauge,

gasoline gauge, water temperature indicator and ammeter, respectively. Plates. l9 and 20 are fastened to casing 18 by means of screws 2|, the plates l9 and 20 each supporting a group of two instruments. v w a A bezel 22 having a channel portion 23 in which 5 cut out indicia 24 are formed is nested within the portion ll of the die-cast frame l6,as shown in Figure 3. A flange 25 on the bezel is adapted to be crimped over a flange 26 on the casing l8 and to hold a retainer plate 21, a glass or other transparent dial 28, a gasket 29 and a translucent channel ring 30 in fixed relation as best seen in Figure 3. The several gauges or instruments are visible to the operator by means of openings 3| formed in the retainer plate. Each gauge has a pointer 32. Graduations or dots 33 are painted on the face of each gauge. w

The face and pointer of each instrument are illuminated by means of the light bulbs 34 within the casing. The lateral walls of the casing reflect the light onto the several instrument faces. The face. of each instrument has the word "water, amps, fgas, or oil painted thereon.

The cut out portions 24in the bezel member 22 which serve as indicia for the several instruments circular gasket 45 and an annular retainer plate are illuminated in an indirect manner as follows: Light from thebulbs 34 within the casing I8 passes through a generally circular series of openings 35 in the retainer plate 2'! as best seen in Figures 3- and 4 and then through the glass or other transparent dial until it strikes a ringJiB of opaque paint on the .front side of the transparent dial; By means of reflection and diffusion at an angle greater than the critical angle a portion of the rays are caused to travel within the plane of the glass dial. A second ring 31 of opaque paint on the back of the glass dial in line with the channel portion of the bezel and the channel ring of' translucent material causes a portion of the rays traveling within the glass dial to be reflected and projected against the ring 3|)- of translucent material and illuminate the same and the cut out characters or figures 24 in the bezel 22. I

The speedometer unit I is constructed in a manner generally similar to that of the combined instrument unit I I. -Referr ing especially to Figures 1, 5, 6 and 7, an open casing member 40 is provided in the open end of which is shown a speedometer dial member 4 I secured to the mechanism by means of screws 42. By means of bezel 43, a glassor other transparent dial or disc 44, a

46 are secured to a flange 41 of casing 40, bezel 43 having a portion 48 which may be crimpe over flange 41 for securing purposes.

Positionedbetweena channel portion 48' of the bezel 43 and the glass or other transparent disc 44 is an inverted'channel type ring 49 which may be made of suitable translucent material such as pyralin. It will be clear from Figure 6 that the bezel .covers an appreciable portion of the glass disc 44 and-has cut away portions 60 in the channel portion thereof which represent the speed range of the speedometer. These openings with the graduations on dial 4| complete the speedometer indicia.

Windows 50 and are provided in dial 4| through which the odometers 50' and 5|, respectively, of the speedometer may be visible to the operator. Another window 52 is provided in dial 4| through which a. signal or tell tale light 53 may also be visible. connected to the lighting system in such a way This light is preferably 7 pass through openings 56 in retainer plate 46 as best seen in Figure 5. It will be understood that preferably there are a plurality of the openings 55 arranged in a generally regular circular series near the outer edge of the retainer plate similar to the openings 35 in the combination instruplane of the glasadisc, A second ring of opaque paint 58 on the back of transparent dial 44 causes a'portion of the light rays within the transparent panel to be reflected in such manner that they no longer travel within-the plane of the transparent dial but are projected against the ring of translucentmaterial '49, thus illuminating the ring and the cut out indicia or numerals 60.

It will be understood that the thicknesses of the several rings oi. opaque paint shown in the drawings are greatly exaggerated for purpose of illustration. In both the speedometer and combination instrument the retainer plate and dials I preferably are painted to match. I prefer to ments are indirectly illuminated by means 'of light reflected from the walls of the casings, while the cut out indicia in the bezel member are illuminated by. means of light rays which are first diffused and reflected to travel within the glass or other transparent dial and then reflected and projected through the colored translucent ring and through the cut away indicia portions.

Various changes in the combinations and arrangements of the. several parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not wish to limit the patent granted thereon other than as necessitated by the prior art.

Iclaim:

1. In a device for indicating, a casing open at one end, a'retainer platehaving an opening near the edge thereof and a second opening spaced from the edge opening, an instrument secured to the casing behind the second opening, a transparent panel in front of the retainer plate having a ring of opaque paint near the outer edge thereof in substantial alignment with the opening near the-edge of the retainer plate and a second ring of opaque paint of smaller diameter on the back thereof, a flanged bezelmember having a channel portion in which are formed openings in alignment with the second ring of opaque paint, the flange being secured to the casing, a channel ring of translucent material fitting within the channel portion of the bezel and a light source within the casing for illuminating the face of the instrument and also for illuminating the ring of translucent material and the openings in the channel portion of the bezel member.

2. A device as in claim 1 in which the face of the instrument has graduations thereon.

3. A device as in claim 1 in which the transparent dial is formed of glass and a gasket is provided plate.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing open at one end, a plate at the front of the casing having, an opening near the edge thereof, a glass between the panel and the retainer disc in front of said plate; a ring of opaque paint on the front of said glass disc in alignment with said opening, a second ring of opaque paint on the rear of said glass disc, means for securing the glass disc and retainer plate to said casing, said securing means overlying a portion of said glass disc and having openings which form indicia in alignment with said second ring of paint, and a source of light within the casing, a portion of the light rays passing through the opening in the plate and then being diffused and reflected within the glass disc. I

p 5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a transparent disc mounted near one end of the casing, a member having indicia thereon in front of said disc, a source of light to the rear of the I two, said plates being secured to the bacl': of the disc, and, means for-causing said light source to illuminate said indicia comprising a ring ofthe plane of the disc and a second ring of opaque paint on the rear of the disc in alignment with the indicia to project a portion of the light raystraveling within the disc toward the indicia.

s. A device as in claim in which the transthereof, a second ring of opaque paint on the rear parent disc is formed of glass.

7. In a device for indicating, a casing open at one end, a retainer plate having at least one opening near one edge thereof and'a plurality 'of openings spaced from the edge, an instrument. mounted in the casing behind each of the plurality of openings, a transparent disc in front of the retainer plate, a bezel member having indicia formed therein in front of said transparent disc, a light source within said casing and means for causing the light source to illuminate the indicia comprising a ringof opaque paint on the front of the transparent disc in alignment with the edge opening and a second ring of opaque paint on the back of said transparent disc in alignment with the indicia.

8. A device as in claim 7 in which the plurality parent disc having a ring of opaque material on of instruments are fixed to plates in groups of easing,

9. A device as in'claim '7 in which the retainer plate has a circular series of openings near the edge thereof in alignment with the ring of opaque paint on the front of the transparent panel.

10. In a device for indicating, a frame, two instrumentcasings secured therein, said frame having portions which overlie the instrument casings, a retainer plate for each casing having openings near the edge thereof, a transparent disc for each casing'arranged in front of each retainer plate,

a bezel member for each casing having a gen-- erally channel shaped portion having indicia formed therein, the bottom of said channel portion forming with theoverlying portion of said frame a generally regular surface, instruments fixed to each casing, a light source within each casing and means for illuminating the indicia comprising a ring of opaque paint on the front of each transparent disc in alignment with the openings near the edge of each retainer plate and a second ring of opaque paint on the rear of each transparent disc inaligmnent with the indicia.

11. In a device of the class described, a transparent disc having a ring of opaque paint on the a front thereof, indicia at the front of said transparent disc, a second ring of opaque paint on the rear of said transparent disc in substantial alignment with the indicia and a source of light behind the transparent disc.

12. In a device of the class described, a transparent disc,a ring of opaque paint on the front thereof, indicia at the front of said transparent disc in alignment with the second ring of paint,

r a source of light behind the transparent disc and means between the light source and the transparent disc for directing a portion of the light rays-into alignment with the first ring of paint.

13. In a device of the class described,,.a transparent panel; opaque paint on the front thereof,

an opaque member in front of said panel having openings therein forming characters, opaque paint on the rear thereof in alignment with said.

openings and a source of light behind the transparent panel in substantial alignment with the opaque paint on the front of the transparent dial.

14. In a device of the class described,.a trans- 15. In a device of the class described, a trans-' parent panel having a ring-of apaque material on the front thereof, characters at the front of said transparent panel spaced from the ring of opaque material, a second ring of opaque material on the rear of said transparent panel in substantial alignment with the characters, and a source of light behind the transparent panel.

16. In a device ,of the class'described, a transparent panel, a patch of opaque material on the front thereof, a character at the front of said' transparent panel spaced from said patch of opaque'materiaLa second patch of opaque material on the rear of said transparent panel in alignment with said character, and a source of light behind said transparent panel.

HENRY CHARLES S'IUERZL. 

